Written by: Drs. N. van den Boom (doctor and PhD candidate)
As a doctor, I am very aware of how important it is to be able to sleep well. If you don't sleep well, then losing weight is hopeless, the risk of injuries is about 40 percent higher, worrying takes over and you will feel depressed or unwell more often. All this can already occur after one night of not sleeping well. Good materials are often lacking, so that we ensure that our night's sleep is not optimal. It may be a "crazy" example, but in the past we also drove without seat belts in the car, why should we stick to "old materials" to optimize our sleep? After all, sleep is to our brains like gasoline is to a car; just to keep talking in the cars for a while.
Sleep and health
Sleep is an important pillar for your health. Sufficient sleep has a major impact on your mood and concentration. You probably recognize that if you have had a bad night's sleep, it is a lot more difficult to be positive during the day and to function sharply and focused. Because the amygdala (the emotion center in our brain) works less well when we sleep poorly, poor sleep also has a huge impact on our mood. I myself am highly sensitive, so I notice that when I sleep badly I notice much more stimuli during the day than when I had a good night. For example, when I sleep poorly, I can tolerate light worse and I feel depressed and have less patience. I can also make (too) impulsive decisions and I notice that I am less sharp in my work. Having a good night's sleep means that you fall asleep well and that you can then also sleep well. During the night you go through a number of phases that are important for a good and vital night's sleep. The better this is, the smaller the chance of "overstimulation" during the day.
Research
Recent studies have also shown that we benefit enormously from a so-called gravity blanket, as it turns out that more than 63 percent experienced less stress by lying under a gravity blanket. And no less than 78 percent indicated that it really made them sleepy. Another study also shows that this heavy blanket counteracts insomnia. One of the "tricks" that these weight blankets use is, as the name suggests, to use the feeling of weight on your body. This pressure causes the extra production of oxytocin: the “cuddle hormone”, which gives you the feeling that you are being held. Your body thus becomes a lot calmer because it looks like you are being hugged. In addition, this heavier blanket ensures the production of melatonin and serotonin, the so-called sleep hormones, and lowers the stress hormone, also known as cortisol.
Own experience:
I myself have been struggling with suboptimal sleep for a long time, I deliberately say "suboptimal" because I think the terminology insomnia sounds too heavy for myself. The effect of sleeping medication, and especially its longer-term consequences, can be extremely harmful to your health. In addition, it ensures that tolerance occurs, so that you will need more and higher doses of it. As a doctor, I really started to immerse myself in what I could do myself to sleep well and thus optimize my fuel for my brain. I came across this weight blanket, and decided to try it. After a few nights I noticed that I wake up less and am more rested during the day, I also sleep a lot deeper and I can noticeably relax myself more when I lie in bed. I notice that I am a lot fitter during the day and even my colleagues at work notice this because I am a lot sharper than before. In addition, I think the quality of the product is great. It doesn't fluff, and it's just right in weight. It is recommended that the weight of this blanket is about 10% of your body weight, giving me a blanket of 6 kilos. What I also find very striking is that the relationships, both professionally and socially, have improved since I started using my weighted blanket. And guess what?! This would be the case with several users of these heavy blankets. In short, I have now found a “natural remedy” that actually allows me to function better in various aspects of my life.
Conclusion :
Finally, I would like to summarize, but above all advise, to give yourself optimal sleep. By giving yourself a good night's sleep, optimizing the material "in which" you sleep is extremely important. Going directly to medication is therefore often unnecessary and, above all, ineffective because habituation / dependence will occur and you can no longer do without medication, of which you still need more. So give yourself something in the context of "self-compassion", and invest in the best version of yourself to recharge every day with an optimal night's sleep.
Reference:
- Positive Effects of a Weighted Blanket on Insomnia
- Exploring the Safety and Therapeutic Effects of Deep Pressure Stimulation Using a Weighted Blanket
I myself use the weight blanket of:
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